Published in 1904, this forgotten classic is sci-fi and dystopia at
its best, written by the creator and master of the genre
Following extensive research in the field of "growth," Mr. Bensington
and Professor Redwood light upon a new mysterious element, a food that
causes greatly accelerated development. Initially christening their
discovery "The Food of the Gods," the two scientists are overwhelmed by
the possible ramifications of their creation. Needing room for
experiments, Mr. Besington chooses a farm that offers him the chance to
test on chickens, which duly grow monstrous, six or seven times their
usual size. With the farmer, Mr. Skinner, failing to contain the spread
of the Food, chaos soon reigns as reports come in of local encounters
with monstrous wasps, earwigs, and rats. The chickens escape, leaving
carnage in their wake. The Skinners and Redwoods have both been feeding
their children the compound illicitly--their eventual offspring will
constitute a new age of giants. Public opinion rapidly turns against the
scientists and society rebels against the world's new flora and fauna.
Daily life has changed shockingly and now politicians are involved,
trying to stamp out the Food of the Gods and the giant race. Comic and
at times surprisingly touching and tragic, Wells' story is a cautionary
tale warning against the rampant advances of science but also of the
dangers of greed, political infighting, and shameless vote-seeking.
